Concours d'Elegance at Palais het Loo

Every two years, vintage cars gather at the fabulous Palais het Loo in Apledoorn for their Concours d'Elegance.

In June this year, we were guests of Vredestein, our tyre sponsor in the JEC XK Challenge.  As one of the main supporters of het Loo, Vredestein made us feel very much at home.  In fairness it was really our XK 150 FHC 'S' that was of interest.  Shod as ever on Vredesteins, she stood guard outside the Vredestein hospitality tent. 

The centre piece of het Loo is a sprint for pre-war cars.  For our  Jaguar XK150 S race car doing the Vredestein hill climb at het LooXK, produced in 1959, it looked like it would be a static weekend.  So pleased were Vredestein that our XK had travelled all the way from South Coast, England, that extensive negotiations followed with the organisers with the result that the XK was 'invited' to open proceedings, taking the first run of the sprint on Saturday morning.

The weather was less than kind; the track, a cobbled roadway, sits in a magnificent tree lined but dripping avenue.  So with the wet, the cobbles and the moss from the overhanging trees, it  Twyford Moors Classic Cars XK150 S in the mud at het Loowas a interesting challenge.  Needless to say we had to show off our somewhat superior horsepower.  What followed was a series of stop/start showboating to the delight of the crowds lining either side of the sprint. 

We enjoyed the rest of Saturday but Sunday was altogether different.  Rain, rain, followed by heavy rain.  Notwithstanding water turning the extensive grass grounds to mud, we had to move the heavy XK and to take our leave a little early to catch our ferry home.  As we started the engine, a crowd emerged fromRob Oudshoom of Vredestein with Nik, Ian and our XK150 at het Loo the Vredestein tent, and demands were made to lift the bonnet.  Much interest and questioning followed on the XK engine, triple carbs and racing clutch. 

Then we were off, or at least that was the idea.  As we pulled forward with a crowd of Vredestein hosts and guests behind the car, the car stalled in the heavy mud.  Engine started we pulled forward again, the rear wheels failed to get traction, spun, sending mud backwards towards the very group who had shown such interest, and whose hospitality had been so fulsome.  Sorry Vredestein.  But thanks again for a great weekend.